Where do Coyotes Live

The chances of you coming across an individual who has absolutely no idea of what coyotes are very grim. The popularity of this species can be attributed to numerous citations and references of the species in popular culture. After all, who can forget Wile E. Coyote from the popular animation series The Roadrunner Show. That, however, doesn't mean we can boast of knowing everything about them. Some simple questions like, where they live or what do they eat, still continue to elude us.

Coyotes: Prairie Wolves

The coyote, also known as the prairie wolf or the American jackal, in a species of the canid family, native to North and Central America. Their binomial name Canis latrans literally means a barking dog. A full-grown adult coyote measures 30-34 inches in length, stands 23-26 inches tall and weighs around 20-40 lbs. The species sports a fur coat ranging from grayish brown to yellowish gray in color, with white patch on its throat and belly. It is known for its peculiar habits such as feeding on a wide variety of things, ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat and carrion. These creatures most often hunt small animals like rabbit, mice, etc. However, they are also known to take on animal species which are much bigger than them in size. The rate of reproduction is also quite prominent in this species, and this contributes to their soaring population.

Where do Coyotes Live?

The geographical range of coyote species spans across the entire continent of North America, right from Alaska in the north to Mexico in the south. In fact, the United States, Canada and Mexico are home to 16 of the 19 species of coyotes, while the rest of the 3 species are restricted to Central America. The vast expanse of the coyote habitat can be attributed to the fact that they can adapt to a wide range of climatic conditions, and eat virtually any edible thing that they come across. Coyotes living in mountainous regions tend to migrate down to warmer regions during winter. Even though its natural habitat is the open grasslands of this region, coyotes can be found in any place where they get food to eat.

In times of food scarcity, they are known to travel several miles in search of food. Over the period, they have got used to the company of humans. A coyote seldom hesitates to barge into an open yard and feed on the livestock it comes across. At one point of time, coyote population was restricted to the wild areas of North America. Today, however, things have changed substantially, and it wouldn't be surprising to come across a coyote right in the suburbs. In some regions, they are also considered as pests owing to their tendency to feed on livestock and crops. In fact, the nuisance this creature tends to create has left many people trying to find out novel ways to trap them..

Coyote is one of the very few wild species which have successfully adapted themselves quite to the human environment. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has enlisted the coyote as a 'Least Concerned' species, with no threat whatsoever. Taking a note of the adaptation skills of coyote, it is not at all difficult to understand that this species is here to stay.